Leave a comment

Project GB is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Miss Susie, how about going to school?”

It was two days after I became Susie Cloud that Henry asked me that.

Everything had come out of nowhere, and I was just in the process of eating a delicious raspberry tart, so it took me some time to put down the fork.

“This semester will be finished in about two weeks’ time, you see.”
“Hmm, school. I’ve thought of eventually sending her, but is it really okay for her to suddenly enter right before the semester’s end?” Howard asked.

“Of course. After the semester ends, there’ll be a two-month-long summer vacation before the next year starts. Wouldn’t it be better for you two to spend the summer with friends your age rather than spending it alone?”
“You’re right. You’re entirely correct! Let’s prepare immediately! Henry, could I task you with getting things ready?”

“Leave it to me. I’ve already let Daisy know about it. It was her idea for you to start before the semester ended.”
“What… person… Miss Daisy?” I asked.
“She’s my wife. She’s also the one who made this tart and the teacher at Amukham Village’s school.”

Henry explained.

(That reminds me! The one who made the cherry pie from before was also Miss Daisy! How great it must be to have a teacher who’s proficient in baking! Still, I feel like this is developing way too quickly.)

“Susie, don’t you want to go to school?”
“No… I… want… try… But… little… nervous.”

(Isn’t it normally difficult for someone who doesn’t even know where they came from to suddenly fit in a school environment? Of course, I was a bit worried.)

However, after I let him know my thoughts, Sir Howard said, “There’s no such thing!”

He explained that in Amukham Village, strength was highly valued and that with his endorsement and my track record of killing those wolves, the villagers would accept me without problems.

(What’s this about? A sports-oriented village of sorts? Maybe some kind of warrior tribe? Feels a bit off-putting.)

Eventually, it was decided that there would be no problems and that I’d go to school the following day.

After everything was decided, Papa Howard showed just how proficient he was at following things through. He quickly made all the necessary arrangements and got things done in no time at all. This was likely what one would call a natural-born manager. It was precisely people like these that one could follow with pride. I too felt proud to be with him.

After we got home, I told Miss Sonia about school, but that seemed to flip some switch in her. She looked extremely proud. She also seemed to be way more gung-ho than usual. The following day, both Miss Sonia and I decided we’d go into town to pick up a few things for me.

Mama Sonia had gone on about how important first impressions were and how I’d have to be well-equipped.

(Well-equipped huh… Am I going to war or something? I’m going to school, right?!)

This walk of ours was also the first time I learned that Miss Sonia’s legs were quite frail. Although she could move around the house, she couldn’t endure standing for long or walk for an extended period. As such, whenever she went out, she’d either use a wheelchair or a horse-drawn carriage.

This reminded me that even inside the house, she’d mostly delegate the heavy lifting to Miss Elrose because carrying heavy things was hard on her legs.

(That’s not good! I must support Mama Sonia! Both physically and mentally!!)

Miss Sonia took up steering the carriage on our way to town. I was extremely surprised to learn that she could drive one. She showed me that she wasn’t just your run-of-the-mill lady, and that made me see her in a new light.

Nonetheless, this also motivated me to want to learn how to drive a carriage so that I could take off a bit of Mama Sonia’s burdens.

On the way to town, the tension was high as it was just me and Miss Sonia in the carriage. We both talked endlessly about all sorts of unimportant things.

And although I said all sorts, it was mostly about food. The best part was that Miss Sonia promised to teach me how to cook.

The road leading to Cope Town was made of red earth, which contrasted beautifully with the translucent green of the grass and trees along the way, making it easy on the eyes.

Wheat fields stretched out, with the trees from the nearby woods appearing here and there. Although not as tall as those of the Daypahra Mountains, the peaks of the mountains in the distance to the south were shrouded in a light purple haze.

I was extremely pleased to be able to see such a view from the carriage.

The sky was a dazzling, piercing deep blue, with a mass of white fluffy clouds, which flew low and were slowly being swept away by the wind.

I held down my hat, which was swaying in the breeze, and inhaled the fresh air deeply. The smell of wheat, greenery, and the open sky filled my chest.

Miss Sonia had a loving expression as she watched me enjoy myself. Seeing that expression on her face made me a bit embarrassed, but I also felt very happy.

Although we’d used the horse-drawn carriage to get to Cope Town, walking to the store had to be done on foot, so I constantly held Miss Sonia’s hand while we walked.

“You do not need to worry so much.” she’d say with a smile on her face.

(Of course, I do! I’m not letting go of your hand!!)

When we eventually reached the clothing store, a fashion show broke out. The audience, Mama Sonia, the model, Susie Cloud.

In other words, it was a dress-up session. I was made to try this and that, with Mama Sonia choosing the clothes and managing everything.

Some of the items I was made to wear included hats, shoes, new baskets, stationery, and lastly, underwear.

Underwear was a bit of a high hurdle for me and made me feel quite embarrassed. In spite of that, Miss Sonia appeared to be in high spirits, so I endured. She picked out a wide range of underwear, from cute little ones to slightly more adult-like pieces. I honestly didn’t know how to feel about a 13-year-old wearing silky G-strings or thongs.

“The most important part of a woman’s appearance is in that which is not seen!” That is what Miss Sonia said, and I couldn’t object.

After we were done shopping, we asked the store lady to load our things on the carriage wagon, and as she did, a mountain formed in the wagon. Both I and Mama Sonia shared gazes and then suddenly burst out in laughter.

“We’ll need Howard to work hard once we get back,” Sonia said with a dazzling smile.

◆◆◆◆◆

The morning before my first day of school proved to be quite difficult. Actually, the difficulties had started even the day before. Mainly in choosing what to wear. Miss Sonia and Miss Elrose had gone on and on about it, arguing endlessly.

In the end, they decided on a pinafore dress. A type of dress similar to an apron dress, and not a jumper skirt. It had huge ruffles like feathers at the shoulders and a big ribbon at the back.

The one-piece dress I wore under the pinafore was apple green. It had a voluminous skirt with many pleats. The ruffles at the hem were large, and the collar was also large and ruffled. The sleeves were fluffy and long, puffed at the ends.

On my feet were ruby red lace-up boots picked in a color similar to my hair. They had rounded tips and thick soles, with thin black laces strung from the instep to the tip of the shoe.

My hair was in pigtails, not twin-tails, with a zigzag parting in the back and tied up on both sides. The pigtails were tied with vivid light blue strings, forming a large bowknot. I was the manifestation of the phrase cuteness overload.

I looked like a princess. When I jokingly tried to bring it up to Miss Sonia, she said with a straight face, “Huh? But of course, you’re a princess, Susie!”

Hearing that made me feel like I’d drop dead from embarrassment.

◇◇◇◇◇

The school was located about 5 kilometers from the Cloud residence in a straight line.

Surrounded by windbreaks of evergreen trees, it resembled a church-like structure with white exterior walls and a blue gable roof. Bells hung visibly from a tower extending above the building.

Since it was Susie’s first day at school, she was brought here in a carriage driven by Howard.

In the office of the school building, she was greeted by Miss Jameson, whose full name was Daisy Jameson.

Miss Jameson appeared to be in her mid-thirties. Her dark brown hair was braided and pulled back into a bun. Overall, her hair was exceptionally shiny, with no stray strands, and it was meticulously groomed. Her grayish-brown eyes, which exuded intelligence, were hidden behind the small glasses perched neatly on her nose. She also had a friendly smile.

(She’s a role model for office ladies! And she looks to be in a position with a lot of responsibility!) Susie thought to herself.

Miss Jameson was dressed in a loose-fitting white blouse paired with a cool-toned, subtly patterned scarf tied around her neck like a necktie, giving her a polished and professional appearance. Her knee-length fitted skirt and black stockings added to her image of a female teacher.

Once Susie arrived at the school, Daisy escorted her to the classroom. However, Daisy still needed to take care of some paperwork with Howard, so she called for one of the girls in the classroom to take charge of Susie and then returned to her office.

◇◇◇◇◇

“My name is Beatrice Croque! My father told me about you!”

She had soft, wavy, reddish-brown hair that reached to her back and was pulled back with an Alice band, revealing her large, prominent forehead. Her fine, tight eyebrows and large amber eyes, which shimmered in a golden hue under certain lights, portrayed her intelligence. The corners of her mouth were turned up in a fearless smile, and her moderately scattered freckles revealed a spirited nature.

Beatrice was somewhat shorter than Susie, forcing her to look down slightly. For the first time since she had arrived, Susie met someone shorter than herself, which made her feel somewhat satisfied.

Support Us

Unlock Early Access ------- Select Project ------- Project Gender Bender Project Necro ∴ Support your favorite series and unlock chapters before the public release.